#and is hopelessly in love with edelgard

[mika-miii]

finding 3hopes much preferable to 3houses. i like shez a lot better than byleth and also it does't waste a million years dripfeeding you plot backed with monastery busywork

[controversial-blorbo-bracket]

Controversial Character Tournament Round 2: Light Yagami from Death Note vs Edelgard von Hresvelg from Fire Emblem: Three Houses

(remember that these characters are fictional and your fellow tumblr users are real. please be normal in the notes, i will not hesitate to block if you harass people)

Propaganda under the cut, may contain spoilers:

Light Yagami:

LOVE: - "He does some messed up things but have you considered: fucked up protagonists rock :)" HATE: - "this man makes me sick. ive genuinely had manic episodes over hating him. i have trauma from his existence in general. not even because of the murder. because hes a sexist cheater :(" - "My cousin and I frequently debate this. I think despite his 'intentions' he's ultimately a despicable character who cares for nobody but himself. She disagrees and says that he is just trying to do the right thing and making a difference in the world (she still thinks his actions are wrong, but she doesn't think he himself is despicable)" BOTH: - "I mean cmon man"

Edelgard Von Hresvelg:

LOVE: "People either claim she's the hero or the irredeemable villain with no in between. She's also my lovely wife who has never done anything wrong in her life." "I never even finished her route and remember nothing of what happens in that game but I DO remember the absolute warzone the fandom turned into because of her. She staged a coup and overthrew the head of the government/church and I think that's pretty cool of her. "But she committed war crimes!" God forbid women do anything." "I lied in the previous question. I don't hate her or love her in fact I have never even played this game. But I keep finding people making up Discourse™ featuring wild accusations of bigotry towards both Edelgard fans and Edelgard haters so I feel that she belongs here. (Also my friend hates her. but HER friend loves Edelgard. So even in my small social circle there is a clear polarization.)" "ok I don't have any solid propaganda because my opinion of her is more positive-neutral, but. she fits the spirit of this poll. trust me." "[three houses spoilers] Yes she started a war but it was the only apparent way to break the chokehold the church had over everyone in Fodlan. Also she’s the only lord you can gay marry so I’m hopelessly biased" "every time i go into the tag its either "edelgard is perfect no notes!!" or "edelgard is literally a fascist!!!". ive never seen someone with a neutral opinion of her. i yearn for battle." "I know very little about her to be quite honest! But good god. As a fire emblem fan for the GBA and engage. I have NEVER seen such a decisive character like Edelgard. Jesus Christ. I still find stuff in those tags. What the hell!!!" "I don’t even go to Fire Emblem but even I know that Edelgard has never done anything wrong, ever, in her entire life, and that if she did any war crimes they were a SUPER effective use of girl power. source: I am a lesbian. (realtalk I genuinely love a noble-minded extremist revolutionary and think Edelgard is a great character, so it’s kind of a shame that opinion on her seems to simply split down the line of “whether the person wants to kiss Edelgard or Dimitri more.”)"

HATE: "So on the one hand, she's fully willing to kill and burn and murder her way to a "better future" at the expense of the present, but on the other hand she's pretty cool and #girlboss. She's also a canon gay romance option, but idk if that makes her more or less problematic." "I just. I understand why people like her. I really do. And I don't have anything new to say for why I dislike her. Edelgard fans and stans have heard everything. She has great points and motivation, but her methods are wrong. She hitches her ideals to the first good opportunity and never reconsiders her allegiance when things go off the rails. She hates the church for "lying to people" and proceeds to lie to her own populace herself in her own route. She gives Claude an opportunity to live because she knows he believes in her goals. But Dimitri and his Kingdom are too beholden to the church to ever be offered such mercy. She herself acknowledges that the change she wants to see is more quickly enacted through war than subtle and slow societal change. She recognizes the human toll of her actions, but she justifies it through flowery language and an insistence that the change needs to happen now or it never will. I honestly find her so interesting, and I agree with a lot of her thoughts about the need for societal change in the world of FE:3H. But people latched onto her and propped her up as someone who can do no wrong. And that just never sat right with me. I just think she’s a hypocrite who got put in front of a shiny means to her end and was immediately blind to every other opportunity around her." BOTH: - "I dont even play fire emblem but I cant escape people not shutting up about how much they love or hate her" - "You said there were no hate answers for her...and I don't really hate her so it wouldn't be right but I wanted to balance things out some. She's the perfect storm of a character who sounds right and progressive and has a route all to herself that doesn't contradict that...but once you play other routes, it becomes clear she's kind of. full of misinformation. And attacking people who don't deserve it. Also a LOT of the divisiveness I'm willing to blame on the writers rather than her, for having her both be Evil Tyrant we NEED to take down and Sad Uwu Baby who just wants to eat cake and laze around and loves You the Player SO MUCH."

[voxmilia]

I'm sorry you expect me to believe Hubert isn't hopelessly in love with Byleth when he questions Edelgard when he thinks she's gonna own up to their allies and then .2 seconds later goes, "Anyway you Cannot Die, okay-"

[fantasyinvader]

L'État, c'est moi – Attributed to Loius XIV

I am the senate – Emperor Palpatine

I feel that this is a core part of Edelgard's character, that she views herself as the state.

First off, Edelgard is identified as a hegemon. Hegemony is different from your typical evil empire, though still a form of imperialism, and even predates feudalism by over a thousand years. Considering that Edelgard wants to put the world back the way it was, this could be intentional on the creators part as it signifies that Edelgard's government is based on even more ancient history, but even in Japan during it's feudal era it was a hegemony where vassal lords pledged their alliance to the Emperor (ancient China as well). It's even still used today by critics of world superpowers like the United States.

In hegemony, the idea is to use soft power to make people want to be your friend. You bring them to you, you attract them, and then you use that attraction to dominate them and make them your puppet be they nobles, states or even countries that are supposed to be independant. Hard power, military force, is reserved your those oppose you.

Worth noting that the Japanese name of Edelgard's route is Safflower, a flower that symbolizes attraction. Edelgard's weapon Aymr features the Crest of Maurice, tied to the devil arcana suggesting people allow themselves to be corrupted by voluntarily being around some devil figure, which would also mark her as an Antichrist figure as well as it's also known as the Crest of the Beast. This would also tie into the Buddhist symbolism surrounding the Nabateans, with Edelgard meant to attempt to try and sway Byleth away from enlightenment with her failing to do so being represented in Byleth's flag, the save icon for Silver Snow and the game's actual Fire Emblem according to the devs.

As a hegemon, Edelgard tries to attract people to her side. She has the Agarthans believing that she'll grant them the salvation they seek, the commoners believing that they can elevate their own status through her reforms, while the nobility will hold onto their lands and titles if they support her, and for the player she tries to go the route of being the love interest. She generally tries to make herself out to be the lesser evil in light of what she is an accomplice to as well. She makes her reforms out to be the only thing that can save Fodlan, but various media make it clear she doesn't know what form her reforms will actually be.

All she does, in the Japanese script, is increase her own power.

But here's the other part, hegemonies use hard power against those who oppose them. Coercion, indoctrination, sabotage, or just plain brute strength all work here. And we see this in Hubert's endings, where any threats to Edelgard's rule dance with the Bert in the pale moonlight, while he also spies on those same people to find those threats. Freedom this is not. But the fact is, to be an enemy of Edelgard isn't simply to belong to the Church, Alliance or Kingdom. As she puts it in Hopes:

I've set out to unite all of Fódlan. I've started a war over it. That means destroying any who oppose me and protecting all who stand with me. If you believe in me and share my ideals, I will never abandon you.

This sums up hegemony quite well to be honest. But look at what is said here. If you don't stand with her, she'll destroy you. If you don't believe in her or share her ideals, she will abandon you. This war is so that she might unify Fodlan, while earlier she talks about how devoted she is to her ideals. Hopelessly, in her own words. But this also means that if you don't believe in what she believes, it'll be taken as a sign of opposition and she'll destroy you like we get in Hubert's endings. She also conquers through direct military force, her army said to kill anyone who doesn't surrender to them as they take no prisioners. We also have both Houses and Hopes saying she conscripts people to fight as well, with the former saying that those who resist are killed.

Yet, Edelgard makes herself out to be benevolent. Also, if the farmers are upset at Edelgard taking their farmhands for her army... yeah, they're not going to be going up through the ranks. Ditto the commoners who opposed the war.

Edelgard is reshaping society based on her own beliefs. The nobility aren't meant to serve their people, they're meant to serve her. The Church is meant to serve her. Those who serve her will be rewarded, those who oppose her face their own destruction. And this is Edelgard representing hadou, a leader who rules for themselves rather than for the people. And we know from interviews that Hadou, the path of supremacy or military rule, is what her path is supposed to lead to.

But if you think about this further... this is Edelgard copying the Agarthans. We know that they gave power to Nemesis and the Elites, with notes indicating that they viewed the Agarthans as gods with Nemesis's genocide of the Nabateans being a holy mission from them. We also know that Nemesis persecuted his power, likely to remove Nabateans beliefs at the behest of Thales, and people followed his example rather than rebelling against him. But at the end of the day, Nemesis was a bandit drunk on the power he had been given, while the Agarthans paint this era as one where the world was ruled by humanity... and they believe surface dwellers aren't human. They made Ionius their puppet, and had him pass on their version of history to Edelgard which inspired her to act while expecting to still work with Edelgard once she conquers Fodlan and kills Rhea.

The Agarthans view themselves as the hegemon, Edelgard their puppet but as Cornelia notes when dying in the Japanese text, they are really dancing to Edelgard's tune.

Plus, there's the FEH comic again where Edelgard talks about finding more puppets, while Hubert refers to Ingrid, Felix and/or Sylvain as tools to use against their families in Flower.

Edelgard is a would-be puppet master, and the game paints rejecting her control as the good option. Of course the game is going to constantly try to make her look good, because that's what she's supposed to be on the surface, a waifu that may attract players to her cause. But at the same time, when we get to really know her as per Verdant Wind's moral, we clear up the misconception and are expected to see her for the tyrant she really is. Because, like Seteth says, Edelgard isn't your normal tyrant. It's through this that she can get people to betray their countries, forget the injustices she's visited upon them, and ultimately die for her.

Edelgard is a hegemon with a crunchy hadou-flavored core. That is her character.

[cynical-gamer-media]

Edelgard Rarepair Week, Day 1: Loyalty

Edelgard/F!Shez

All you got to do is rock up into the emperor’s tent and ask her out on a picnic—Goddess, that makes it sound romantic; it’s gotta be platonic sounding! Remember you rehearsed this with Arval. Asking out—not in that way, damn it!—Edelgard for a picnic outing is simple. You’ve had tea together a couple of times, you always spar together, you have been her bodyguard for the past two years—surely inviting her for tea is child’s play!

Hopelessly crushing on Edelgard and hoping to let her loose Shez invites her on a date (no, not a date!) a picnic to loosen her guard and talk about how her loyalty her turned into a legitimate dream of sharing her goal.

[horrocious]

top 5 shipps? 👀

hoo this is tough as a hopelessly obsessed lesbian love enjoyer.

Reinhardt/Victoria (Alchemy Stars), Ishmael/Outis (Limbus Company), Chief/Nightingale (Path to Nowhere), Himeko/Kafka (Star Rail), and the one that kinda Activated my brain to get back into fandom stuff... Byleth/Edelgard (Fire Emblem 3 Houses)

[beezonia]

A Sarah Jane adventures au

With Manuela as Sarah, the journalist who lost her parents and investigates the aliens that come to earth

Dimitri is luke the boy who’s a genetically engineered

Byleth is Maria but she doesn’t move away in this

Claude is Clyde the school prankster who wants to explore the world someday

Petra is rani the high school investigator who’s extremely interested in the mysterious woman and her son who lives opposite her and her family

Edelgard comes in somewhere as like a half human half alien teen who gets put on earth to destroy it

(So does the rest of the cast at some point)

Hanneman is the doctor (yes he fits the 10th doctor vibes me thinks)

Seteth is they guy Sarah Jane nearly gets married to but is a reoccurring character because Manuela kinda crushes on him afterwards and he misses her

And it’s basically just Manuela her son and his friends trying to save the world from aliens with a bit of love smooshed in with it

———-

Like imagine The Wedding Of Sarah Jane episode but it’s Setuela

Seteth is Peter who she’s been seeing for a few months and is hopelessly in love with him and he her.

Dimitri, Claude, Petra and Byleth are worried about her because she’s been lying to them more often and as Dimitri says “Nothing good ever happens when she lies to them”

So they end up following her and find out about her and seteth because Claude sees them kissing.

Manuela tells them about seteth, her and Dimitri have this talk about how she’s not gonna tell him about the alien investigator part of her life because she doesn’t wanna loose him.

Fast forward a few weeks to the wedding. turns out that Seteth made a deal with the trickster Manuela’s greatest enemy and they are now trapped in a time loop that only she can break

The others are with the doctor or Hanneman as he likes to be called and their trying to figure out how to save/help Manuela

Whilst seteth is trying to persuade Manuela to say I do and she’s trying to get him to see the truth

(I love this episode so much you have no idea I could go on for hours)

But yeah that’s the gist of the au let me know if you want more!

[valorandgold]

@nobleburn​ said:

Ship Bias for Selena and/or Petra!

INCOMING WALL OF TEXT

Tbh I’m not sure I have five ships for Selena? I mean I could always list Selena/Summoner as one but that’s the coward’s way out and also a bit too self-indulgent methinks ;D Regardless I do have some feelings™️ regarding her potential ships

- Selena/Glen: Number one forever OTP, and I’m still salty that Valter took away the one person Selena was closest to who nearly talked her out of staying loyal to the man who used to be the love of her life (not that she ever told VIgarde that) because he wasn’t that man anymore, you know, Demon King stuff and whatnot. I love their interactions. limited as they may be (BECAUSE OF FUCKING VALTER GODDAMMIT) and want them to be a thing seriously.

- Selena/Ephraim: A bit of a weird ship but tbh, I can see it. If only Ephraim and Duessel could convince Selena to join their side 😭I feel like they’d have really good chemistry in an alternate universe where that happens, given she would probably need time to grieve Vigarde as a result of that regardless. But I could definitely see it happening of the course of time, though Selena would probably think that Ephraim is in some serious need of more discipline...no that’s not a euphemism though tbh I could see them being a bit kinky but that’s beside the point 

- Selena/Vanessa: Okay I know this seems like a crack ship but hear me out. This is one of those ships that’s mainly the result of a long string of interactions that I had when I was running Selena on her own blog once upon a time that she had with a Vanessa, and that romantic chemistry between them has actually led to fanfics of this ship on AO3 by that same RPer, btw. Anyway, back to my main point, Vanessa being inspired and utterly admiring Selena for how far she’s coming and trying to aspire to similar heights in Frelia’s army and the two bonding and falling hopelessly in love with each other GIVES ME LIFE OKAY? There’s a lot of potential there, I’m just saying.

I can’t really think of any other ones right now? Selena/Eirika is a possibility I’ve considered but I’ve not put enough thought into it yet to really list it here. I’m surprisingly not as much of a ship whore for Selena believe it or not (but if I didn’t feel like it was cheating, I would totally list Selena/M-...I mean Selena/Summoner.) 

- Petra/Dorothea: ...look, at this point it’s no secret to anyone that I am utter trash for this ship and I need it in my life and I love these two so much and this is my OTP for her mgnghgh. Just the fact that from the start Dorothea is so accepting and encouraging of Petra, not even caring about her being from Brigid and her difficulties with Fodlan’s language, and she doesn’t take too much offense to Petra’s very blunt way of saying things, and the fact that Petra comes to care for Doro so much and wants her to stay in Brigid with her and the idea of Doro becoming a Queen of Brigid with her (and adopting like all the kids in Enbarr who are struggling like she did once upon a time) and just their sheer chemistry...I can never get over these two, okay? I’m filthy trash for this ship and nothing’s really ever gonna change that.

- Petra/Edelgard: Hey, is anyone else extremely upset that these two never got an A-Support which could have been really interesting and compelling and led to a good ship for these two? I know I sure am. I mean god damn, why could they not have had a full support line like they deserved? It consistently makes me upset that Doro is the only Black Eagles girl allowed to flirt with and have ships with every other girl in the Black Eagles (among others) but Petra can’t have a proper support line with Edelgard, and don’t get me started on Bernie either.

- Petra/Claude: ...honestly I’m not sure what to say here other than have you SEEN their supports? No really, have you? I mean, okay, I know I could have said the same thing about Doropetra but I wasn’t able to contain myself but really, if you’ve seen their supports you should just know. Look, I just love how from the start Claude treats Petra like an equal, even though they both notice how neither one is exactly typical for their social status (though Petra is close enough for Brigid, but not really for Fodlan). And to think their wonderful bonding all starts over Claude being unable to climb trees

- Petra/Ashe: Once again, I’m having a hard time discussing this other than just saying look at their supports? I just love the way Ashe helps Petra adapt to commoner life in Fodlan and she feels like she’s becoming a better and more knowledgeable person because of it whereas he’s just doing it because he loves to help people and wants to help Petra feel comfortable and then she just literally helps him realize his dream by the end of it. “You wanna be a knight? I can make an order of Knights of Brigid just for you and you can my guardian knight, I really like that idea, we’re both ambitious and driven and have goals we want to reach, let’s get there together.” It’s just so sweet and wholesome.

- Petra/Bernadetta: ...actually I literally don’t have much to say about this one because it’s pretty much the same thing as Edelgard. So yeah, salty this one couldn’t happen either to be honest, especially because I love the difficulty of overcoming the language barrier early on for them. It could lead to some really sweet and fun things for them I feel like.

[glowingbadger]

E, I, K, M, W for Hubert and Sylvain from fe3h? 👉🏻👈🏻

Wow really opposite ends of a spectrum here lol

Sylvain (FE3H):

E (experience): as you may expect, Sylvain has quite a bit of experience in bed, and while it may be tempting to feel a bit of insecurity about his wealth of past lovers, he sees it quite differently. Now that he's finally with someone he actually cares about, all of his past experiences seem like they were merely practice for you. He's glad he has the perspective and sexual flexibility to do anything and everything to make you feel good, and is very invested in learning and fulfilling your individual fantasies.

I (intimacy): at first, he's not very romantic at all, beyond some fairly typical Sylvain-sweet-talk. He'll of course make sure you know you're beautiful, that you feel incredible, and so on- but it's not until you've been together for some time that something finally 'clicks' for him. You breath out his name as he slowly pushes inside of you, and his eyes soften when they meet yours, and you both know that something suddenly feels different between you.

K (kink): lingerie for sure. No matter what your body type, he thinks every curve and plain of your gorgeous figure looks positively divine accented with lace and frills. It just elevates everything he already adores about you. He loves to grip your thighs around him, but add in the slight swell of flesh over a pair of clingy thigh high stockings? Breathtaking. A glimpse of your lovely nipples behind sheer fabric? Incredible. He simply can't control himself when you're dressed up like that just for him.

M (motivation): frankly, it doesn't take much to get Sylvain going- he's pretty much good for it any time anywhere. Somewhat surprisingly though, he gets intensely aroused when you're sweet and loving towards him. When you give him a gentle, earnest smile, or cook for him, or give him a small gift just because it made you think of him- even he's surprised by how deeply he longs to make love to you in these moments.

W (wild card): Sylvain loves it when you match his energy. If he whispers into your ear that he can't wait to get you in his bed tonight, smirk and reply that you expect him to pound you until you can't walk- he catches his breath and his whole body burns. If his hand wanders across your thigh under the table during a meal or a meeting, you reply by running your own hand up his until it nearly brushes his cock, and he practically chokes. Basically, he loves it when you one-up him.

Hubert (FE3H):

E (experience): Hubert has only had a handful of sexual experiences, and they were all in some way for political purposes. He's come to expect that anyone who openly expresses that sort of interest in him has an ulterior motive- to attempt to use him for information, to get in Edelgard's good graces, etc. Being with someone he actually likes and genuinely desires is a completely new experience, and one that feels deeply awkward and uncomfortable to him at first.

I (intimacy): Hubert is an intense person by nature, so while I wouldn't call him romantic, I think he is quite intimate with a partner he actually cares for. Expressing his affections verbally doesn't come naturally to him, but you'll be able to tell by how this long fingers curl into your hair, how he breathes in your scent as he presses sensual bites and kisses down your neck (he can be very bitey by the way), and how all of his favorite positions keep your bodies as closely intertwined as possible.

K (kink): Hubert is the absolute classic Dom. His need for control in all aspects of his life, and his somewhat utilitarian prior relationship with sex means that he most enjoys it when you're pliant and obedient for him. He doesn't often confess this, but he still struggles with disbelief that of all people, you want him- so seeing you willingly tied up, hopelessly aroused and shamelessly pleading for him feels like some incredible fantasy he'd never thought he would obtain. Nothing thrills Hubert quite like the knowledge that you would desire him and trust him enough to want to be his personal little pet.

M (motivation): Hubert doesn't allow himself to be riled easily, so generally his "moods" are rare but intense. He's actually most likely to desire his partner when he's stressed or anxious- especially if, as discussed, you're willing to be his obedient toy. Seeing you collared to his bed does wonders for his mood, so don't be surprised if he keeps you there waiting patiently for him or even pleasuring yourself while he finishes some particularly tedious paperwork. Oh, and if one of his underground missions goes poorly, expect a wonderfully harsh spanking.

W (wild card): Hubert is weak for you moaning his name. Once again, this relates to some of his deeper insecurities. During foreplay, he'll prefer that you call him 'sir' if you refer to him at all, and this is partially because it's so difficult to tease you or punish you when you speak his name- his name- full of want and need and longing.

[aethele]

@patroklides​  /  earnest prompts:   “The very essence of romance is uncertainty.” / from edelgard

     “Yes,  I agree.  It makes for better stories and operas,  at any rate.  However,  in the real world,  in my well-thought opinion,  courtship would be far less complex were everyone involved more candid.  It is not so difficult to state how you feel.”

     “Take the way you speak with Dorothea,  for example.  Were you to simply tell her that you are  hopelessly in love with her  plainly rather than flirting about the topic,  pun intended—”

[cyclaes]

FE3H: Crimson Flower Impressions

I’m into Chapter 17 of the Black Eagles route now (I haven’t played the Golden Deer, I have finished Cindered Shadows and the Blue Lions route) and wow....I feel like a villain. But, like, a well-written one? I mean it’s not two-dimensional.

But I definitely don’t feel like I’m playing a hero.

I kind of have to justify it in my head by playing as if Byleth is hopelessly (emphasis on hopelessly) infatuated with Edelgard. Fics help.

Also I did not expect to love Ferdinand as much as I do. Both story-wise and gameplay-wise, he’s a monster with a lance and now I have him multi-classing into wyvern-rider as well so as to not lose his mobility.

I paired Ferdinand and Dorothea up in every battle because of a Ferdinand/Dorothea fic I’m reading and it turned out really well? In the beginning Dorothea kept Ferdie healed up and then supported with magic attacks, and Ferdie killed everything in front of him. Then I made him a paladin and began training her in swords for her Dancer class, and now they’re two of my best units.

Speaking of best units, mine are

Ferdinand, for reasons explained above. Also he seems to crit a lot. However I regret making him into a Holy Knight, his faith magic loadout is underwhelming. I should have focused making him into a wyvern lord like Edelgard but I felt like Cavalier/Paladin was so good for him especially in the White Clouds chapters. 

Dorothea, my Dancer/Trickster jack-of-all-trades. She supports, heals, and is also one of my best hitters. Wish she had better mobility. 

Bernadetta, a Bow Knight who strikes at range, and who I can maneuver back away with Canto.

Edelgard, who was always going to be a monster. I made her a Wyvern Lord instead of keeping to her armored classes. 

Petra, who I turned into a Falcon Knight, armed with the best weapons, and is my mobile strike force all in a single person. I send her to range the battlefield and she dodges everything. I recruited her in my Blue Lions run so I knew she’d be fast. 

Also I recruit based on story, so I aimed for Ashe, Lorenz and Lysithea since they have reasons to join the Black Eagles, but didn’t get Felix and Mercedes though I wanted to because story-wise I couldn’t justify it. 

And honestly I regret recruiting Leonie, I kind of did it by accident by hitting the ‘recruit’ button when I meant to just give her back a lost item. I like to imagine this is how it went down in the game as well, Byleth just wanted to give Leonie back her lost item and then Leonie just invited herself into the Eagles. I recruited her while she was having a conversation with Jeralt and I headcanon that Byleth went along with it because Jeralt silently begged him to. 

It’s breaking my heart to fight Dimitri. :( 

Since I already knew the major spoilers of the games, some of the lines Edelgard and Hubert deliver are hilariously two-toned. I kind of wish I didn’t know things so I could be all “But what could they mean” but it’s more “Seriously Edelgard? Hubert? How can you say these things to your professor with a straight face.” 

Edelgard’s English VA is amazing. 

[emblemxeno]

Fire emblem fans be like “lol camilla is terrible but i ain’t gonna complain about characters like hapi, manuela, hilda, aversa and a good chunk of fire emblem heroes, because i’m just looking for an excuse to hate on the games i dislike, i don’t actually care about sexualization or misogyny I just hate fates on principle”

Also in Echoes with most of the female characters needing to be rescued, an original character added just to hopelessly pine for the male protagonist, and the female protagonist needing to be slapped for some reason by a guy who thinks he knows exactly what her life has been like when he doesn’t.

But besides the good ol “it’s fine when the game I like does it” there’s also the fact that looking like fanservice is a much worse crime than acting like fanservice, where a lot of female Fates characters are called fanservice bait for simply what they wear whereas Edelgard’s hopeless love for Byleth is something that’s brought up in the plot constantly. But the latter is forgiven for some reason.

Hell, for all overbearing and mommy kink moments that Camilla may have, all of the egregious stuff was regulated to non story content. Getting to tease Edelgard for her fear of rats and looking at the pictures of you that she drew is an actual story cutscene in 3H that plays after possibly executing Claude. That’s a lot worse imo than anything Camilla does.

[patricia-von-arundel]

A Grand Gesture

lysissisyl said: I got: “Byleth breaking into Edelgard’s room through their window” It’s so damn in character. 😂

“It’ll just be a drabble,” I said.

“It will be fluffy,” I said. 

…It is neither of those things. 

Rating: G

-

Really, in a way, what happened could be blamed on Dorothea and Ferdinand. They were the ones who brought up the opera, and seemed to believe that  only certain gestures were the perfect solution for - to borrow one of Dorothea’s phrases - the hopelessly lovelorn. 

It had seemed a good idea at the time, asking the two of them for advice. Who else was there, really? And finding them sitting together in the dining hall might as well have been a sign yelling Fate!, because how often had that happened? Byleth couldn’t remember them ever sitting together as students; they’d seemed barely able to stand one another. 

She sat across from them, and, after perfunctory greetings, saw no reason not to get to the point: “Do you know why Edelgard keeps locking herself in her room?”

Dorothea raised a knowing eyebrow, but Ferdinand seemed confused: “She was at the council meeting yesterday… Though now that I think about it, she did seem to have rather less to say than usual.”

“And went back to her room immediately following,” Dorothea said. “Hubert was muttering darkly about it. Not that he ever mutters any other way.”

“She painted a picture,” Byleth said - already perfectly aware of Edelgard darting from the meeting room as if goosed, and Hubert rushing to follow. “She got upset when I saw it - but that was two weeks ago. She still won’t talk to me.”

“A painting?” Ferdinand asked. 

Dorothea asked the more pertinent question: “A painting of what?”

“Me.”

Her face lit up like a candle. “I knew it!”

“Knew what?”

“I am afraid I must ask the same question,” Ferdinand said - his own expression had gone from confused to thoroughly befuddled.

Dorothea laughed - absolutely delighted. “Of course it’s of you, Professor.” She glanced sideways - not bothering to hide her smirk. “Surely you didn’t miss all of dear Edie’s infatuation, these last five years? Even the horses couldn’t be so oblivious as that.”

“Of course not! It was simply… not the first thing to come to mind.”

“Infatuation?” Byleth asked. 

For a long moment, they both simply stared. Byleth stared back - waiting. 

“Oh, dear…” Dorothea finally said. “Though I suppose you truly did miss these last five years.”

“Most of it.”

“But… you’ve noticed since? About Edie and… you?”

Byleth considered this. Certainly, there was something she was feeling about Edelgard, and it was one of the strongest feelings she had felt, and it was getting stronger still, but she continued to have trouble understanding any of her feelings, even the simple ones. This one was not simple. It wasn’t a bad feeling, but it was certainly not easy to figure out - it was warm, and kind of tingly in her head, and it made her feel like laughing, but it wasn’t funny…?

A very odd feeling. 

She certainly hadn’t noticed anything markedly different about Edelgard, except that she looked like and spoke even more confidently as the emperor now. Until the painting - which was why she was here in the first place. And she said as much: “Nothing except the painting.”

Dorothea stared again, then shook her head. “Hopeless. Both of you, hopeless… My dear professor, Edie is head-over-heels in love with you.”

Ferdinand spoke before Byleth could: “In love?”

Dorothea ignored him. “But she’s embarrassed. I doubt our poor little Edie has ever grappled with such tumultuous feelings. Leading a revolution is a far more straightforward matter. Especially for one of Edie’s… disposition.”

“I haven’t either,” Byleth said. Was that what to name the warm-tingly-laughing feeling? Love? She had felt love before - but even as clueless as she knew she was about feelings, she also knew there were many different kinds of love. 

Dorothea cocked an eyebrow. “So the feeling is mutual, is it?”

“I…” Thinking of Edelgard - and there was the warmth. Byleth nodded. “Yeah. It is.”

“How romantic!” Ferdinand said. “Will you tell her? And perhaps more importantly - how will you tell her? Over tea? I would be more than happy to assist in acquiring the perfect blend. Something with an infusion of rose, but sweet. Perhaps -”

“You’re thinking like a noble, Ferdie - all tradition, no grandeur. Nothing memorable.”

“I would think the symbolism would be memorable enough, Dorothea. The gift of a blend perfected solely as a gesture of love, the intimacy of a table laid out within a hidden glen, with places only for two… Are you saying such an act is not evidence of devotion, deep and abiding, and promised for all eternity?”

“I never said that. I said it was boring.”

Ferdinand pursed his lips, shook his head. “Not everything needs to be a grand stage production, Dorothea. Life is not an opera.”

“How very deep, Ferdie. You surprise me. But why not something grand and operatic?” She leaned against her elbows on the table, chin resting atop her entwined hands. “What do you think, Professor? A grand gesture, or… afternoon tea?”

“I just want Edelgard to come out of her room and talk to me again.”

“Just to be clear - are you certain it was the painting?” Dorothea asked. “Nothing else you saw? Nothing unusual happened?”

Byleth thought back to that day - to the truncated shout that had taken her to Edelgard’s room in the first place. “I called her cute.” No more details given; Edelgard would almost certainly get even more upset if suddenly everyone knew her deepest fears - even if all those included in “everyone” were her closest allies. 

Once more, Dorothea looked absolutely delighted - and this time, Ferdinand did, too. “Did you really?” Dorothea asked - and actually turned to Ferdinand long enough to share a knowing smile. 

“Yes.” Had it been the wrong thing to say, even if it was true? Edelgard had gotten flustered, but she always got flustered when she thought she was being teased. Which she wasn’t. 

“Hmm… So you called her cute, and then saw the painting?”

Byleth nodded. 

“…Poor Edie has probably never in her life fallen into a stew of emotions quite this thick.” 

Ferdinand also nodded - a contemplative expression on his face. “I must say, I am rather jealous.”

“When once again, you’ve lost to Edie?”

“Of course not! I speak only in the most general of terms.”

“Mm-hmm - but back to the matter at hand. Edie is in love, Edie is thoroughly overwhelmed by this - and perhaps lingering uncertainty about whether the feeling is truly mutual - and rather than do the sensible thing and speak to someone, as our professor here has done, she has opted to lock herself away, because no one ever told her pining princesses don’t go looking for hidden towers of their own accord.”

“Which begs the question,” Ferdinand said, “of how to rescue the princess from the tower.”

Byleth was confused - and fairly certain that if Edelgard needed rescuing, she would rescue herself - but kept silent. It felt as if some progress was finally being made. Maybe. They had at least moved on from the “in love” aspect, anyway. 

“Which brings us back to grandeur,” Dorothea said. “No one ever knocks on the door and politely asks the evil king to please return the princess. And isn’t it always you nobles doing the breaking-and-entering in the name of rescue?”

“I hardly think breaking down Edelgard’s door is a noble idea, whatever the circumstances!”

“It’s a terrible idea,” Byleth said. Edelgard’s aim wasn’t always the best, but in the confined space of the dormitory, that would not particularly matter. 

“Metaphor, my dears.” Dorothea was leaning across the table again. “Ferdie says life isn’t an opera, but what is an opera but a grand-scale depiction of everyday life? You’re familiar with the tale of Cremina and Lycaon, are you not?”

Byleth shook her head, but Ferdinand said, “Of course. Cremina was a distant - and likely mythological - relative of House Vestra, and Lycaon the purported father of Wilhelm, founder and first emperor of Adrestia. The story claims to explain the allegiance House Vestra swore to House Hresvelg.”

“Exactly,” Dorothea said. “I always wanted to play Cremina, but wasn’t considered mature enough for the role before I left the opera… but regardless - Professor, you’re sure you are not at all familiar with the tale?”

“I don’t think so.” Her father had not been much for telling stories. Especially about princesses in towers - which was a little concerning, if this was a common occurrence. But that was something to try to figure out later. The library probably had books about it. 

“The family of Cremina did not approve of her love for Lycaon,” Dorothea said. “They saw him as little more than a savage, a guard dog of Seiros. They locked Cremina away beneath the grand home in which they lived - they were already very wealthy, while Lycaon had been nobody at all until he proved himself upon the battlefield. He knew where Cremina was being held, but had no means to rescue her.

“There was war all across Fódlan, then - for centuries, if you believe the legends. Cremina’s father was slain in battle, then, one by one, six of her seven brothers. Knowing Cremina was still locked away beneath her family home, Lycaon decided to behave like the dog they claimed that he was - he began to dig. Each day, as he worked, he sang to Cremina - his songs her only nourishment, and her songs sung back the same to him, letting him dig harder and longer with no need for food or rest. When finally he reached her, they swore to love one another for all eternity. Soon after they were wed and had a son, Cremina’s youngest and final brother returned home, having recovered from the grievous injuries he had sustained in battle. As a thank you for what Lycaon had done to save Cremina, the brother pledged his and all his descendants’ devotion to the Hresvelg line, for as long as both should remain.”

“A preposterous story, by all true historical accounts,” Ferdinand said. 

“Of course it is, Ferdie. You just said it yourself - it’s a story. A grand story of the lengths to which the hopelessly lovelorn may go. Far grander than any tea party.”

“A tea party is feasible in our current situation, unless you mean to propose the professor should somehow dig her way to Edelgard’s room?”

“Nothing like that. I meant -”

They continued this pseudo-argument, but Byleth was no longer listening. She was thinking about tea, and tea parties, and what might be a grand gesture that was like digging into an underground prison to rescue someone beloved. Something like…

She looked up, interrupting Ferdinand and Dorothea’s bickering: “I have an idea.”

-

The rope was the first thing - and this part, at least, Byleth was very familiar with how to do. Knotted around her waist, snug, but not so tight it would impede movement, and a loop around the handle of the basket. More rope to tie the heavier things within, so they wouldn’t jostle - and each arranged to serve as weight or counterweight, a trick her father had taught her when they had once moved so frequently from place to place. 

She left the basket at the far edge of the dormitory, where it wouldn’t risk hitting the overhang above the ground floor rooms. She needed to get herself up, first. 

Her idea had brought a look of delight to Dorothea’s face, and a surprised excitement to Ferdinand’s. He had, as promised, kept up his end of this grand gesture before the week was out. The rest of it was up to Byleth. 

She was no hero from some ancient legend, but she’d been climbing trees to scout for her father and those who had worked for him almost as long as she’d been able to walk - or rather, for a long enough time she could not remember having to learn to do either. Now, it was as simple as using a crate to get a height boost, and then shimmying up the column to the overhang - not a completely flat surface, some of the boards warped and loosened with age, but far more stable than a narrow branch ten meters above the ground. She would just have to step carefully. Especially with the basket - even with things tied down, pinwheeling would mean a spill inside, if not without.

She pulled the basket up now, slowly, hand over hand, adjusting carefully at every lean or noticeable shift in weight. Edelgard probably had water in her room, but it had seemed like a good idea to bring some, just in case. The evening was still early; there was no hurry to get the basket up. When it was up, though, she checked the contents - all intact; no spills. Good. She untied the rope from both the handle and her waist, tossing it to the ground to pick up later. 

The correct window - she had counted three times, to make sure she knew the one, and had climbed up on the side with the shorter distance to it. She held the basket in one hand, let the other trail against the wall, steadying her as she stepped carefully from board to board. “One,” she said, touching the windowsill. “Two. Three.” She wasn’t likely to be seen - everyone was still at dinner. 

Everyone but Edelgard. 

There was the window. And there she was. 

And for a surprised moment - surprise at herself, at yet another confusing, inescapable, inexplicable reaction - Byleth froze. She stared. 

The horns were gone. The crown, too. And the cape, the armored dress. Edelgard was cross-legged on her bed, her hair down, falling over one shoulder. Her dress was simple, almost loose - a nightgown? Bare feet. She was reading a book, and apparently nothing important, because Byleth knew the way her brow furrowed when she was intently focused on a history or military treatise. Now, her face was relaxed, her lips curled ever-so-slightly into something almost resembling a smile. 

Warmth. Tingling. A happiness that made her feel like laughing. 

Love.

Byleth rapped at the window. 

Edelgard jumped - almost sending her book flying - and whipped around, all the easy enjoyment in her expression wiped away in an instant. She looked tense, now, and - of course - more than ready to protect herself. 

Her eyes found Byleth. Byleth waved. 

For a long time, Edelgard stared. Her cheeks flushed red - anger, or embarrassment?  Byleth had no idea. Finally, at a loss, she held up the basket. 

Maybe grand gestures befitting an opera had not been the way to go. Still, at least she had brought Ferdinand’s plan as well. She pointed at the basket and said, “Tea!” Even if Edelgard probably couldn’t hear her. It would be a pretty simple word to lipread. 

Now there was the furrowed brow. But Edelgard pushed up from the bed and came to open the window. 

Bylth tried her best at a smile. She felt like smiling, and just about everyone seemed to think it was the friendly thing to do. In the right circumstances, anyway - hopefully this counted. She held the basket a little higher. “Hi, Edelgard. I brought things for tea. And sandwiches, since you weren’t at dinner again.”

Edelgard’s flush deepened, and she glanced away - roughly in the direction of the dining hall. “Hubert’s been bringing me… Nevermind. Come in before someone sees you. Or you manage to break your neck.”

“I won’t get hurt.” But Byleth did as told, placing the basket on the long shelf that ran beneath the window, then climbing in after it. There was a fire going - that was good. She hadn’t been able to think of a way to keep the water in the basket warm. And besides,  if she had, the condensation on the little kettle might have made the sandwich bread soggy. That seemed like the sort of little thing Byleth was supposed to remember other people did not appreciate. 

“You might if you ever do that again,” Edelgard said. “What in the world were you thinking?”

“You wouldn’t answer your door. So I asked Dorothea and Ferdinand what to do.”

“Dorothea and -” Edelgard put a hand to her forehead, rubbing as if it ached. “Of course.”

“Do you want tea?”

“I… Yes. I suppose. Let’s… have tea.”

A good sign? Not a rescue from an underground prison, but better than being yelled at through the door. “I brought a blanket.” Opening the basket, untying the ropes holding everything in place. “Like a picnic. Dorothea said that would be romantic.”

She paused in her unpacking and looked up at the sound of Edelgard spluttering. “Romantic?” 

“Yes. Is that a bad thing?”

“It’s… no. But… I’m not…” She could see Edelgard tensing, just as she had that day two weeks ago. “This might be a bad time, actually. You should go. We can… we can have tea another day. Perhaps tomorrow. Hubert will be here soon.”

Byleth took her hands off the basket. She looked at Edelgard - at her eyes. Her cheeks were still red, her lips pursed, but her eyes… There was fear there. A naked vulnerability. 

She doesn’t understand feelings, either. Not these, anyway. Maybe for Edelgard, love wasn’t warm-tingly-laughing. Or maybe it was, but it didn’t come with curiosity - it came with terror. Byleth felt no pain from it. But Edelgard…

“I’m sorry,” Byleth said. 

“You’re…?”

“I shouldn’t have said it like that. I should have just said I miss you. And talking to you, and having tea with you. Which I do. I like seeing you, Edelgard.”

Edelgard’s eyes looked away, but she made a little noise that was almost a laugh. “I’m no good at this. Not with you. I like seeing you, as well. I… I suppose I should be the one apologizing. I certainly know… the pain of missing others. Even when they’re not truly far away. I overreacted. I was…” She shook her head. “Let’s prepare the tea. There are… more things I should have told you quite some time ago.”

It was warm, too, doing it together - not tingly, no laughter, but definitely warm. Edelgard took a careful sniff of the tea blend, making a face. “That’s… different. Ferdinand?”

“Ferdinand.”

…Very, very warm. 

Edelgard showed little interest in the food, but did cradle her teacup in her hands. Maybe they were cold - she didn’t have her gloves on. Her skin was pale, and Byleth could catch occasional glimpses of the scars running up her arms, beneath the loose sleeve of her dress. Did that mean something - that Edelgard did not try to hide them; seemed to have all but forgotten them? It felt as if it meant so much more than simple trust. 

As did what Edelgard said, looking down rather fixedly at her cup. “You saw it. The portrait.”

“Just for a second.”

Edelgard shook her head. “Nevermind that. I was the one who left it out. I wanted to explain… why. Why I painted it in the first place. I don’t think anyone would ever mistake me for a master artist.”

Dorothea had said infatuation. Dorothea had said love. And still, perhaps she was right - but there were things she likely did not know about Edelgard. Things it seemed likely almost no one knew. There might be infatuation, there might be love, but there was something more. So Byleth said nothing. She drank her tea. She waited, watching Edelgard attempt to gather her thoughts. 

Finally, Edelgard took a deep breath, and said, “I forget things.” She swallowed visibly. She was clutching the teacup tightly enough that her knuckles had gone white. “Not so much anymore, but… I’m always afraid that I will. You remember what I told you - of what happened to my siblings?”

“When they…”

“When they were killed. When…” Her voice trailed off, and she shook her head again. “After, I realized the gaps, in my memory. I had to be reminded of things - things that had only happened days or weeks before. I could only remember the faces of my younger brother and sister as they had been before I left - they were hardly more than babies! - not as the older children they’d become. The youngest was almost nine years old, hardly a toddler - but even now, when I try to imagine him, he’s no more than a tiny, babbling, fat-cheeked thing.” She looked, finally, at Byleth. “You know that I spent several years in the Kingdom, with my uncle?”

“Yes. Not the details, though.”

Edelgard made that almost-laugh noise again, but there was no humor in it at all. “Don’t expect the details from me. I don’t remember that, either. I knew I’d been away from home, but more than once had to be reminded of where I’d been taken, and with whom, and why.”

She took another deep breath, and let it out slowly - almost a sigh. “Like I said, it isn’t so bad now, but… when you disappeared…” She put the cup down, and, once more, her gaze with it. “I was afraid I might forget you, too. Your face. Your voice. Forget… all of it. And I couldn’t stand that. To lose someone else…” Her hands shook - she laced her fingers together, but Byleth had already seen. “I painted before I could forget. And when you came back… I realized all I had already gotten wrong. The length of your nose. The shape of your chin. I found the painting again because I needed to fix it. In case… in case…” Her voice broke, and she pressed her lips together, almost savagely. Forcing away the sorrow. Forcing away feeling. 

“Edelgard.” Byleth wanted to crawl closer, gather her up, hold her until it was better. Another strange, insistent, new desire - Edelgard might battle her own feelings into submission, but Byleth had no idea how to do that. But she couldn’t do what she wanted. Not now. Not yet. She contented herself with leaning forward, elbows on her knees. “I’m sorry.”

“As you’ve already said.” Edelgard’s voice was soft and low. 

“I’m sorry I was gone.”

A pause - then Edelgard was looking at her once more. “Just… would you be willing to promise me something? I know it’s presumptuous, and perhaps asking too much, but -”

“What?”

Those eyes - those bold, determined eyes. “I know I cannot ask you to promise to keep yourself safe - such is not the nature of war - nor can I ask you to promise to stay by my side.”

“I will, though.”

She almost smiled - not quite, but almost. “Promise me, my teacher… if you ever do choose to leave, or if you must leave… you’ll do me the courtesy of telling me, before you go? I will not try to stop you. Your life, and your path, are your own.”

My life and my path are alongside yours. But as earlier had shown, it was not yet the time for such words. So Byleth just nodded. “I promise.” She cocked her head. “Now you have to promise something, too.”

“Making demands of an emperor and commander of an army?” Edelgard raised an eyebrow, but she was finally smiling. Genuinely smiling. “That’s quite the bold move.”

“Dorothea said gestures should be grand.”

“Dorothea thinks like a minstrel. But go ahead - what would you ask?”

“Promise we can keep doing this.”

“Doing…?”

“Having tea. And talking. And you tell me what’s bothering you. Now, and until the war ends, and after the war ends. I know feelings are hard, but you can tell me about them. I’m trying to learn them.”

Again, for a long moment, Edelgard just stared at her - assessing her. Almost scrutinizing. 

Then - a single, firm nod. “Yes. I think I can make that promise. I do promise.”

It was Byleth’s turn to smile - as best she could. Inside her was warm, and tingly, and felt like laughing. 

A promise from Edelgard seemed a grand gesture indeed. 

[gascon-en-exil]

what do you think of the homoeroticism between felix’s dad and dimitri’s dad? like, Rodrigue is obssessed with Lambert to the point he neglects his own living son to parent this dead dude’s child as his own. it’s like how Gilbert was also obsessed with Lambert but even more and I feel like it goes beyond normal King/Shield behavior and that every man in farghus is hopelessly gay but what do you think?

Funny that you should mention them, because just the other day I came across some Rodrigue/Lambert porn on AO3 and was momentarily baffled by its existence until I realized that, yeah, it’s not that surprising at all. It’s a type of relationship subtext FE has explored before; Elihec is much the same in its later years, and Genealogy’s Gen 1 lord trio - the group whose school days inspired the basic premise of Three Houses, at that - carries hints of it as well. 

I’ve brought it up before when discussing the route, but Faerghus and Azure Moon are so heavily gendered in a way that feels like it’s deliberately picked up a bunch of disparate threads of male intimacy in wartime that the series has played with previously and woven them together into a narrative that is unmistakably homoerotic, both for good and for ill:

Dimidue, Dimilix, and Sylvix all reflect the martial culture in which these men bond with each other, whether it’s cherishing battle scars or making vows to die together or coping (or not) with trauma born of violent military action. Dedue/Ashe is the odd one out, as both characters are on the outside looking in at Faerghus’s cult of knighthood.

As you said, Rodrigue and Gilbert go above and beyond in their devotion to Lambert and his son to the point of neglecting their own families. In Rodrigue’s case - and later, Felix’s - their intimacy explicitly belongs to a tradition enshrined in the near-mythical bond between Loog and Kyphon.

Dedue specifically represents a partial subversion of the status quo right from the beginning, as he replaces Felix as Dimitri’s shield and retainer figure on account of the tragedy of Duscur throwing everyone and everything in the Kingdom off. I would also argue that the Dimidue ending is the most transgressive of the four Lions M/M endings, with Dimitri taking no queen and instead having Dedue as his consort in everything but name. Fandom has been quick to establish that fanon!Fódlan has marriage equality for every popular pairing, so it can be easy to forget that very few of the same-sex paired endings imply, much less state outright, anything as close to a publicly-acknowledged union as this one.

Annette and Ingrid represent two different viewpoints on how women are damaged by all this furtive male bonding running side by side with standard heteronormative patriarchy. Annette’s father cares more about his duty to his king - and might possibly be a heavily repressed gay (but see below) man himself - than his duty to his family, while Ingrid struggles to reconcile her dreams of breaking into the male-dominated world of knighthood with her duty to marry as imposed on her by her father. Sylvain meanwhile takes his resentment of the Crest system out on the many women he pursues, in a take on compulsory heterosexuality that’s pretty hard to take sympathetically.

It would not be unreasonable to headcanon that Faerghus’s culture not only condones but encourages romantic and possibly sexual relationships between noblemen provided they also marry to pass down their Crests. That’s why I left a note on calling Gilbert gay above - standard sexuality labels don’t work very well for a culture like that, which is neither strictly heteronormative (for men, at least) nor fully egalitarian. We have very little idea how much of this would impact commoners, removed as they are from both the institutions of knighthood and personal vassalage and from the need to make Crest babies. We also don’t know if Faerghus is more or less accepting of female homosexuality than Adrestia where it’s apparently the norm; Annette/Mercedes, like everything else involving Mercedes who is herself not from Faerghus, feels removed from the Kingdom’s culture. I sometimes wonder actually if Mercedes was an Eagles character when first designed and was only moved to the Lions when the developers realized that A) a sincerely pious Adrestian such as Mercedes would absolutely not ally with Edelgard by default, B) the Lions needed a primary healer and/or another woman, or C) both.

I’ve seen some of my Tumblr mutuals remark that they sometimes feel like other fans played a completely different game from them, usually in regard to Edelgard. I’m of a similar mind with the Lions and how outside my own circle and a few other little corners of the internet the most common consensus is that Dimitri is a straight guy healed by f!Byleth’s loving hand, the Lions is the house with all the bromance, and Azure Moon’s biggest missteps are ignoring the Agarthans and Rhea (and also presenting Edelgard at her most supervillain-y, for her fans). Well, I would be, but then the game does such a good job of anticipating the way some players as well as the in-game historical record will glide over the subtext that it’s easy to dismiss it when Byleth’s romantic same-sex S ranks exist.

Tl;dr, do I think every man in Faerghus is gay? I wouldn’t go that far, but I think it’s not a big deal for Faerghus noblemen so long as they take time out from plowing/getting plowed by their buddies to make a Crest baby or two. The obsession with passing down Crests is something that’s lessened by gradual reforms in the AM endings, so presumably things just get even more openly gay from then on - especially if the king is publicly getting in on the action.

[sterling-starlight]

Setleth Week Day 1; First Kiss

The aftermath of a war that nearly lasted six years wasn’t joyous, per se. It was more like the entire continent breathed a collective sigh of relief.  But with that relief came a great sorrow. One half mourned the loss of their Emperor, who had promised equality and reformation. The other half mourned their Archbishop, a guiding light in the chaos and uncertainty. In the middle of it all was Byleth, who cried for hours over the death of Edelgard, and felt a deep ache in her chest –no, in her very bones- as Rhea peacefully passed away in her arms.

To admit that she mourned one would cause her to loose favor with the opposing side, and as the newly crowned Queen Byleth had to work to make sure she stayed firmly in the realm of neutrality. On the outside, all she cared for was the restoration and the continuing peace of Fodlan. It seemed somewhat hypocritical, lying to the masses in order to avoid negative pushback. It also seemed hopelessly pointless, since Edelgard’sstaunchest supporters seemed like they would never accept Byleth as their Queen. Ferdinand despaired over his inability to use any status to try and sway the public opinion. The words of the son of a disgraced and deposed Prime Minister meant little to the Imperial supporters who still had lands and titles to their name.

Only a small amount of Imperial-supporting nobles attended Byleth’s coronation, to the surprise of no one.

“They are all disingenuous,” Ferdinand whispered disgustedly into Byleth’s ear. “Do not be fooled; they are only acting cordial so they can keep their status.  I can almost guarantee you they are slandering you behind your back.” His face twisted into a scowl, and he spat upon the ground.

Byleth pat his arm soothingly. “I know, and I don’t care. They can slander all they want, but I’m going to do my best for them, too.” She gave Ferdinand a coy smirk, “It is best to kill them with kindness, so the saying goes.”

Ferdinand balked, and then hid a laugh politely behind his hand. “I see my lessons finally sunk in. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were born into Imperial nobility; passive aggressiveness is like a second language in the court.”

“Oh? Is that why you were sometimes so impossible to teach?”

“Why must you wound me so, Your Majesty?” Ferdinand placed a hand on his chest and sighed melodramatically. Byleth laughed and waved him off.

“Bernadetta has been glancing your way for the past half an hour, trying to gather up the nerve to ask you for a dance. It isn’t very noble-like to keep your lovely fiancée waiting so anxiously. Off you go.”

Ferdinand floundered, but quickly regained his composure. He bowed before rushing over to Bernadetta and, after a brief exchange of words (and her chugging an entire flute of sparkling wine for courage), swept her into a graceful waltz.

The next hours were a haze of tense conversations and formality. Byleth eventually had to excuse herself, claiming that the ballroom was becoming frightfully stuffy and that she needed some air. She fanned herself delicately, curtseyed, and swiftly took her leave.  Finally away from judgmental eyes, she took off her high heels and sighed heavily in relief. In a perfect world, she would have ripped the lilies from her hair and undone the fishtail braid, but she knew that sooner or later she would have to rejoin the crowd. And as much as diving into the pond and sitting at the bottom until she smelled like herself again sounded like paradise, she would have to abstain.

Byleth padded across the cobblestone and wiggled her toes on the cool, damp grass as she walked into the courtyard. When she got to one of the benches, she fell down onto it in a way that was entirely inappropriate for a new Queen. Just for added defiance she spread her knees, thankful that she had chosen to wear a dress that didn’t restrain her legs.  Briefly she humored the idea of throwing her shoes into a bush and returning to the ballroom barefoot. With the length of her dress no one would notice, and she would probably be a much better dancer without her feet in constant agony.  Alas, she decided to be a responsible adult and just set the shoes next to her.

Byleth leaned back, draping her arms over the bench, and sighed up at the sky. Now that she no longer had to put on the act of a composed and regal Queen, she was suddenly hit with the weight of everything. It was like someone had cut the rope holding a large sandbag that had been precariously hanging over Byleth’s head since it was decided she would take the throne after the war.  She knew how to bark orders through pain, devise strategies, negotiate with merchants, and ration supplies because Jeralt had taught her all those skills. She knew how to be a warrior and a solider; not the Queen of an entire continent.   She felt horrible for thinking it, but she missed the wartime. She knew how to navigate a battlefield, but she didn’t know how to heal the hurt of such a long and bloody war.  Her expertise was in commanding troops, not leading an entire country.

Not for the first time, Byleth wished Jeralt was still alive to impart some wisdom onto her. He would be just as clueless about governance as she was, but he had always found a way to make things click that no one else had.

“Your Majesty,” Seteth’s voice was as clear as it ever was. Byleth yelped in surprise and quickly composed herself, closing her legs and smoothing out her skirt as she looked towards him.  Seeing him in blue and white regalia made of cotton and silk, rather than blood-stained silver plate, was almost foreign.  He crossed the courtyard in long stride before coming to stand before her. His expression softened, “you came out here for some peace, I take it? I cannot say I blame you. The ballroom has become,” he paused to inhale through his nose, “suffocating, for lack of a better word.”

“You caught me,” Byleth admitted with a small smile. She looked around Seteth, blinking in surprise at the noticeable lack of Flayn, and looked up at him. “You’re leaving Flaynunguarded?” She teased lightly.

“Fighting alongside the students has shown me that most of them can be trusted. For a night, at the very least.  Likewise, she has proven time and again that she doesn’t constantly need me in her shadow,” His expression turned somber for a moment, but he shook his head lightly.

“My, my, I never thought I’d see the day.” Byleth laughed. She scooted over and patted the empty spot next to her. “Come and sit. You’ve been on your feet all night, I know you need it.”

Seteth looked torn because what he wanted and what was proper, his shoulders tense. Byleth clicked her tongue and reached out to pull him down. He gasped in surprise, and actually needed a moment to right himself.  “There, see? Don’t you feel better?”

“You didn’t even give me time to respond.”

“The only way you would have sat down is if I ordered you to.”

Seteth scoffed, “Being so presumptuous doesn’t flatter you at all.”

“It isn’t presumptuous if I know it as fact.”

“If you insist.”

Byleth pouted and nudged him with her elbow, but said nothing else to continue the argument.  Seteth lightly smirked triumphantly.

They sat in a comfortable, familiar silence for a long time. It wasn’t unlike the rare and cherished times when it was just them, a pot of tea, and a book of myths between them, or  times spent at the fishing pond (although Byleth burst out laughing when Seteth admitted he didn’t even know how to bait a hook). It was peaceful and grounding, almost liberating in the wake of having to put on the façade of a composed and regal Queen. But even still, Byleth’s uncertainty gnawed at the back of her mind, and the words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them.

“Do you think I’ll be a good Queen?” She could have slapped herself. But why stop there? “I don’t want to hear ‘You’ve been chosen by Rhea and the Goddess; of course you will’. I’ve heard that all night. I want to know your honest opinion.”

Seteth looked at her in the eye, expression contemplative. After a long pause he replied, “As a man of faith that poses some difficulty.” He began evenly, “I’ve made it no secret that I believe the Goddess always intended this to be your fate. You are a brilliant tactician and a charismatic military commander. In an ideal world, that would translate to being an unparalleled monarch. But this world is anything but idealistic, and you are brash, reckless, and quick to jump to conclusions. Your first reaction is to strike first, and ask questions later.  Do I think that makes you unfit to rule? No.  But I do think those hot-headed tendencies of yours need to be tempered by time and experience. There is no such thing as a ruler who is perfect immediately after taking the throne.”

Byleth mulled over Seteth’s response, chewing on her bottom lip. “That’s… reassuring. Thank you.” She said quietly. Boldly, she reached up to cup Seteth’s cheek. “So, can I trust you to be there if I need help?”

“Always,” Seteth breathed, slowly placing a hand atop hers. “I will remain by your side until the day I die.”

“I’m so glad.”

Byleth’s heart didn’t beat. It never did, and it probably never would. But as if to compensate for that, warmth blossomed from her chest and radiated all throughout her body as her and Seteth’s lips met. The first kiss was awkward, because she had never been kissed in her life. The second was less so, and the third… Goddess the third was everything she’d ever hoped for. Poets described kisses like fireworks. Brilliant, shocking, spectacular things that sparkled and sizzled. Kissing Seteth was soft and tender and warm, like being wrapped in a thick blanket in front of the fire on a freezing winter night.  

The love ballads Dorothea sang Petra suddenly made all the sense in the world, and Byleth felt like her head had been stuffed with feathers when she and Seteth finally pulled away. She felt warm and dizzy and weightless like she had too much mulled wine. “That was-” She began dazedly.

“Inappropriate.” Seteth cut in. He stood up abruptly. “Forgive me; I shouldn’t have let my emotions cloud my judgement.”

“I was going to say amazing.” Byleth said sternly, catching his hand. “If what I feel for you right now -what I’ve been feeling for the longest time- is inappropriate, then so be it. I don’t want to stop feeling this way. Ever.” She gazed in the direction of the ballroom, where the orchestra had just begun playing another suite. “I know I have to go back soon, but let’s enjoy this moment just a little longer.” Byleth laced her fingers through Seteth’s ,  keeping them loose enough so he could pull away if he wanted to. “If you feel the same, that is.” She finished lamely.

Seteth’s fingers tightened around hers, and he sat back down without a word.

[jo2ukes]

rambling and incoherent thoughts under the cut about how deduebert’s love is too powerful and would, ultimately, save the world :’) (spoilers, obviously)

In a canon-compliant AM AU, if we run with my headcanon that the parley meeting between El and Dimi was largely organized and agreed to bc of the (unlabeled but very much romantic) relationship Hubert and Dedue had pre-war. Dedue, at Dimitri’s request, would send a message to Hubert requesting a meeting, knowing that there’s still unresolved feelings between the two of them and that Hubert may be more likely to persuade El to accept an invitation to meet. Canonically, I think it’s fair to say El has closed herself off to any emotions or opportunity for emotion that would detract from her goal (which requires a certain level of detachment, to be fair. On that note, I also think even in just straight up canon AM, Hubert likely convinced her to accept Dimitri’s request to meet). 

During this meeting, I think Dedue and Hubert would likely have had the chance to meet up alone (while El and Dimi talked) and catch up/engage in pillow talk about the current state of affairs. Naturally, knowing Dedue and Hubert, it stands to reason that they would talk at length about their respective liege’s reasons for doing things. Ultimately, I don’t think either of them would go into it with the intention of doing anything other than what El and Dimi wanted, kind of just accepting this would be a last reunion of sorts and then, ultimately parting ways and dying for their respective causes. BUT through their conversations, I think they’d realize they could orchestrate a truce between the Adrestian and Faerghan armies while still accomplishing El and Dimi’s goals and that the truce would be what’s best for their leaders. 

Now you’re saying, wait, that’s not possible- Hubert would want to keep certain info close to his chest! He doesn’t like revealing his hand- he’s most comfortable operating in the shadows and he wouldn’t let a silly little thing like emotion get in the way! And you’re right! BUT his conversations with Dedue (as well as his feelings) would technically be “in the shadows,” more or less, as he’s clearly opened himself up to emotions outside of strict devotion to El (whether he wants to admit it or not). We also know both he and El realize, tactically speaking, fighting a war one front at a time is easier than fighting one on four fronts (Adrestia vs. TWSID, the church, the Kingdom, and the Alliance). They’ve sort of circumvented this by allying with TWSID and taking them out of the equation for the time being (begrudgingly so). So, the more people Hubert can persuade to join El’s cause, the easier their victory will be, even if he has to persuade others behind El’s back. Hubert is canonically shown to disregard/disobey Edelgard’s orders if he sees a better way for her to accomplish her goals (I’m thinking particularly of one of his supports with Ferdie… I believe it’s their B support where he deliberately disobeys her because he sees a better way). I think this is one of those opportunities he’d find it worth going behind El’s back for the following reasons:

El’s goal isn’t necessarily to conquer Fodlan, she just wants to remove the church’s influence and the crest-based hierarchical society that’s universally accepted in Fodlan. 

 As far as we know, (or maybe just as far as I know) she has no issues with the three kingdoms/houses existing as separate, independent nations. (I haven’t run across any dialogue that suggests this) 

Dimi AND Claude also take issue with the crest-based hierarchical society and seek to change it as well.  As such, that makes TWSID the most direct enemies of her goal because, ultimately, they value crest power and seek to hoard it for themselves (again, unfortunately, she’s had to ally with because she is fighting a war on multiple fronts)

El would be motivated to find powerful allies outside of TWSID so she can cut ties with an organization she clearly detests and who fundamentally oppose the future she wants

Faerghus (and Dimitri) are not direct enemies of the Empire/El’s goals even though they are not directly opposed to the church or the church’s existence. 

In AM, Dimitri doesn’t ally with the church out of any sort of loyalty or piety. In fact, it’s probably more correct to state the church allies with Dimi - he has the army, he has the power, he has the means to help them accomplish their goal of freeing Rhea 

In Silver Snow (and I’m assuming in VW), he allies with the church again, not out of loyalty or piety, it’s simply because in that route the church has the army and the power and the means to help him accomplish his goal of avenging the deaths of his family

This is backed up by his scene in the goddess tower- he explicitly states that he doesn’t really believe in the goddess and feels abandoned by her. It’s not that he hates the church or has any of the information that El has which leads her to believe the church is responsible for the inequality in Fodlan, he just sees them as a neutral party (which of course, arguably, they (or, really, Rhea) are not, he just doesn’t know any better).

Telling Dedue the truth about TWSID, and providing evidence about their hand in the Tragedy of Duscur, means El/Adrestia is no longer an enemy to Dimitri or Faerghus. Dimitri’s anger and focus would be on crushing TWSID, thus aligning his goals with El’s. 

What about the Adrestian conquest of Faerghus? Well, if you think about it, Faerghus wasn’t technically occupied directly by Adrestia, they were occupied by TWSID and other nobles swore fealty to the Empire once Cornelia assumed power. Sure, TWSID took control while they were under command of the Empire/allied with the Empire, but even in the CF route, Cornelia is killed/removed from power in Faerghus, standing to reason that El didn’t really want to give TWSID any sort of power/leadership even when they were allies. In AM, if Dimitri hadn’t killed Cornelia, I think we could safely assume El still would have killed her

Dimitri wants to listen to and understand El, he wants to find common ground.

Even in AM, where he still believes she may have had a hand in the Tragedy of Duscur, the whole parlay meeting is his idea because he has opened his heart to the possibility that he is wrong. His overly compassionate nature (once he finds it again) forces himself to look at options that cause the least amount of bloodshed, particularly for his subjects

Once Dedue knows the truth, I think it possible he and Hubert would work together, likely going against direct orders from El and Dimitri and decide to extend negotiations. Since, at this point in AM, for all intents and purposes Claude and the un-recruited Alliance students (save for Lorenz, rip [we will pretend he was recruited]) are technically allied with Dimitri, Dedue could send word to Claude about the parley. News of Claude’s impending arrival would force El and Dimi to prolong their meeting. Upon his arrival, Claude would play a key role in providing information about the church that neither El or Dimi have (namely that the church/the goddess isn’t responsible for the creation of crests) as I’m assuming he still spends his time in AM/CF routes gathering the same information he would gather in VM route. (He likes to have all the information, after all!)

After the three of them meet, and, after a lot of arguing, I think Dimi’s compassion would win out, and El could be swayed to root out corruption in the church rather than completely destroying it. Rhea would be released from captivity in the Empire on the condition she abdicate her position as archbishop (presumably then allowing Byleth to assume the responsibility, paving the way for the church to become the benevolent force it claims to be. Despite what Rhea does behind the scenes- we know she even keeps HUGE secrets from Seteth and Flayn- the church DOES do a lot of good. If the church starts endorsing the message that crests shouldn’t be used to lord power/be used as a symbol of importance, I don’t think El would fundamentally have an issue with the church any longer).

THEN of course, the three leaders (four, counting Byleth who I think would happily lend the Knights of Seiros as well as their own battle prowess) would be free to focus their efforts on attacking and destroying TWSID, which I think could be accomplished fairly quickly (all things considered) with their united abilities and skills. Afterward, they could focus on shaping Fodlan the way they believe it should be (ie- loose/no borders, abolition of social hierarchies/systemic racism, strengthening ties with regions outside of Fodlan (freeing Brigid, restoring Duscur, improving relations with Sreng and Almyra and Dagda), etc. 

Naturally, Hubert would assume his position as Minister of the Imperial Household, Dedue would take up a role as a delegate to Duscur (and probably still build his school bc i’m very partial to that ending), and the two of them would wed as a sign of good faith between Adrestia and Faerghus (and also because, eventually, the two of them will have to face the facts and admit that they’re hopelessly in love). Eventually, their roles in orchestrating peace would be heavily romanticized and turned into a “star-crossed lovers across the battlefield” type opera that both of them would be far too embarrassed to ever see in person.